Literature Response: Beating on the Chest of God, a Faith Journey Through Infertility by Rachel Whaley Doll

Posture and Relevance of the text to topic of fertility grief

This book is a personal reflection on a long and devastating infertility as well as a book with tips for individuals and for friends.   It is descriptive of the physical and emotional drama that accompanies infertility and failed efforts to become pregnant.   Whaley is a colorful story-teller and faithful Christian who models faith in a God who can handle our raging, and who is revealed, again and again, through those who show up to care for the brokenhearted. Furthermore, Whaley provides a journal prompt and a prayer at the end of each chapter, making this a helpful book for spiritual practice.

What grieving individuals, and their pastors or lay caregivers, can expect to learn glean from the text:

Those who have experienced years of infertility will quickly identify with the stories that Whaley tells, and the anger and hope that she invokes. Pastors and lay caregivers alike will gain insight into the world of those struggling with infertility and will become better able to anticipate the needs of individuals within the faith community and better able to assess those parts of worship and liturgy that are painful for those experiencing infertility.

Suggestions for best use

This text is an honest and accessible read making it a great resource clergy, lay leaders, family and friends, and those who are grieving. Suggestions for best use include:

• A resource for prayers for those struggling with infertility.
• A resource to be read together by the church staff as they consider, together, the acknowledgement of fertility grief in the pastoral care, liturgy, and worship ministries of the church.
• A resource for training lay ministers or congregational care volunteers in relation to providing care for those experiencing fertility grief
• A resource around which to shape a fertility grief support group, especially with a focus on infertility.
• A resource for families or close friends who are struggling to grasp the emotional and physical pain of infertility for those whom they love.

Additional Thoughts

This lively text is organized around broad topics and does not attempt to track a linear development of grief.